TJ Nance, Director of Credit for Walters Wholesale Electric in Signal Hill, CA, is a huge supporter of CMA, having served on the CMA Board of Directors since 2015. On the Board and in his credit groups, he is a discussion leader, drawing on his diverse professional experience in credit and sales before that. He also participates in nearly all CMA events. His can-do attitude is infectious, as he often inspires others to be the best version of themselves that they can.

Nance says that industry credit group membership with CMA is the greatest benefit to his company. He strongly believes that “the practice of sharing trade data in my Group has been a great help to Walters.”

At Group meetings, the always jovial Nance is entertaining, engaging and welcoming to other credit professionals. Nance is a dynamic leader who constantly challenges his Group by leading in thought-provoking conversations about laws and other factors that can affect the way a company gets paid. His unique career path to credit which began in sales and management also has helped provide perspectives to credit professionals that they may not have otherwise considered.

“To me, the biggest challenge facing credit teams today continues to be getting paid on time, otherwise there’d be no need for credit managers. I’m thankful that I have CMA’s support which helps me do my job better,” he said.

While he’s not working, Nance is an avid golfer who despite the hundreds of rounds played has only one “Hole In One” to his credit.

Melissa Kobus, CCE, the Assistant Director of Credit for Walters Wholesale Electric in Signal Hill, CA, is our favorite type of member. CMA’s 2018 Mentor of the Year, Kobus is a huge supporter of CMA, having been on the CMA Board of Directors since 2008, serving in several roles including Chairman and Advisor. On the Board and in her credit group, she is a great leader, setting an example for others. Her fellow Board members have described her as having a huge heart, always thinking of others first, full of helpful knowledge, as she visibly goes out of her way to help and answer questions or find information. She also participates in nearly all CMA events.

Kobus says that industry credit group membership with CMA is the benefit her company most uses. “The connection with other industry members has saved our company money, we avoid a potential bad credit decision,” she said.

“My first industry credit group meeting in Northern CA was challenging. There were so many people who had been attending that meeting for a long time that it was a little intimidating. Their confidence and experience pushed me to grow and become more involved. I became a group chair and started taking CMA’s education classes. Today, I encourage others to participate fully in the industry group meeting and reach for their goals.”

“To me, the biggest challenge in credit today is finding good credit managers. I’m thankful that I have CMA to help me put together a network of credit managers in my industry who I have created relationships with and that I regularly call on both professionally and personally,” she said.

While her profession causes her to sometimes travel locally doing customer visits, Kobus and her husband enjoy travelling internationally as much as possible. “Some of the best places I’ve been have included Paris, Lucerne, Budapest and Vienna.” She’s also a fan of the TV show Game of Thrones. “I binged watched the first 6 seasons in 2 weeks and became hooked. Not sure that I can wait until next year for the 8th season,” she added.

Kobus has this advice for younger credit professionals: “When in doubt, DO SOMETHING. It’s become a popular phrase, but it is so true.”

We appreciate Kobus’s great and can-do attitude, and we hope you get to meet Kobus at an upcoming CMA event.